overweight
UK[ˌəʊvəˈweɪt]US[ˌoʊvərˈweɪt]
adj
weighing more than is considered normal, healthy, or allowed
n
excess weight above a standard or permissible amount
v
to give too much importance or consideration to something; to bias
Morpheme Breakdown
over
weight
over
excessive
weight
heaviness
Etymology
The word "overweight" is a transparent compound formed within English from native Germanic elements. The prefix "over-," with its ancient sense of "beyond a limit," has been combined with the noun "weight," which stems from the Proto-Germanic root for "heaviness." This literal combination, meaning "excessive heaviness," first appeared in Middle English. Its primary modern application to bodily mass developed from this core concept, while its secondary, figurative verb sense—to assign excessive importance—logically extends the idea of applying too much "weight" to a consideration.
Analysis
Structure: over (excessive) + weight (heaviness)
- over: A prefix of Old English origin, from Proto-Germanic uber, meaning "above, beyond, excessively." In this word, it functions as an intensifier indicating excess.
- weight: A noun of Old English origin, from Proto-Germanic wihti-, related to the concept of heaviness or burden. In this word, it serves as the core noun root.
Examples
The doctor advised him to exercise because he was slightly overweight.
The airline charges a fee for baggage that is overweight.
We must be careful not to overweight the evidence from a single source.